We’re all wet — and that’s a good thing

ELKHART — As counties across Indiana have learned this summer, all rainstorms are not created equal.

Northern parts of the state have gotten more relief from the recent drought than central and southern areas of Indiana, according to AccuWeather senior meteorologist Paul Walker.

“Some places have done well with rainfall, and some have not, but overall, a lot of places are still running behind,” he said.

Elkhart and Goshen have received about 2.5 inches of rain since storms rolled through the area Thursday, and another half-inch of precipitation fell Tuesday. But the rain hasn’t been enough to saturate the ground, Elkhart County Board of Commissioners president Terry Rodino said. The county has been under a burn ban since June 15, and it won’t likely be lifted in the next few days, Rodino said. As of Tuesday afternoon, 83 Indiana counties have issued a ban on open burning.

“We’re just waiting to see how much more rain comes down,” Rodino said.

Tuesday’s rainfall did relatively little damage except for canceling the third day of harness racing at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair in Goshen, and lightning knocked out a traffic signal near the Elkhart Municipal Airport at C.R. 6 and John Weaver Parkway. The Elkhart County Highway Department expects the light to be working again within the next few days.

The rest of the week is expected to bring temperatures in the low to mid 80s and scattered thunderstorms to Elkhart County, according to the National Weather Service.

AccuWeather’s closest weather monitoring station to Elkhart County is in South Bend, which has received about 4.5 inches of precipitation since the beginning of July. The station’s average for July is 2.95 inches of rain, Walker noted. About 100 miles away in Fort Wayne, almost 3 inches of rain has fallen in the past 23 days, which is slightly less than the average of 3.18 inches.

Central Indiana has remained dry, Walker said. Only 0.68 inches of rain has been reported so far this month in Indianapolis, he said. The city’s average rainfall for July is more than 3.5 inches. Farther south in Evansville, roughly 2 inches of rain has fallen, about an inch short of its average precipitation.